Distributor heater



Nov. 24, 1953 5 w1 2,660,656

DISTRIBUTOR HEATER Filed May 16, 1951 Imentor STANLEY A. W/LK/E PatentedNov. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE DISTRIBUTOR HEATER StanleyAlvin Wilkie, Muskegon, Mich.

Application May 16, 1951, Serial No. 226,559

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a distributor heater which may be employed toincrease the eliiciency of commutation in an electrical high tensiondistributor of n internal combustion engine.

I have o* i ved that during atmospheric conditions of high humidity andparticularly when the temperature between 25 and 40 Fahrenheit theenciency oi spark commutation in the distributor is much less than thatexperienced in dry, warm weather. When the distributor contacts becomeworn or carbonized, or otherwise fouled, the efficiency loss is moreaggravated, It is well known that on cold, damp days there is much moredifficulty experienced in starting the engine of an automobile. This isdue to the two factors of high humidity and condensation by reason oflow temperatures.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a distributor heaterwhich will QLllCklfy act to remove water condensate from the hightension distributor points or contacts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a distributor heater ofthis type and including thermoresponsive switch means whereby the heateris cut off as soon as the interior of the distributor attains atemperature corresponding to that normally attained by the distributorcomponents by reason of adjacent location to the engine parts duringnormal running of the latter.

With these and other objects in View the invention generally comprisesthe combination with distributor housing having a removable cover andelectrical high tension switch means in the housing, of metal supportmember mountable within the cover and projecting therewithin to define aheating chamber and a switching chamber, both or" which are exposed tothe interior of the housing but which are arranged so that the switchingchan her is disposed out of the path of radiation from the heater in theheating chamber. An electrical resistance heater or equivalent ismounted in the heating chamber and is connected electrically in serieswith a thermoresponsive member mounted in the switching chamber, thelatter member carrying a switching contact at a movable free end thereofto effect opening of the electrical circuit of the electrical heater. Astationary switch contact is adapted to be engaged by the contact of thethermoresponsive member and electrical connections extend exteriorly ofthe support member and the casing from the stationary contact and theelectrical heater to the battery circuit of an automobile, say, by wayof the ignition circuit.

Other objects of the invention will be appreciated by a study of thefollowing specification taken. in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a distributor heater according to theinvention.

Figure 2 is a View of an electrical high tension distributor housingwith a portion of the cover cut away to reveal the mounting of adistributor heater or the invention therein.

Referring in more detail to the drawings, the distributor heater of theinvention illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a suitable support memberit! preferably of metal of any suitable shape adapted to be set into thecover I I of a distributor housing l2 as illustrated in Figure 2. In theform of the invention illustrated, the support member has a base part l3having a projection I4 extending therefrom forming a series of walls l5and 56 which define the open heater chamber l! and the open switchingchamber 18. If an electrical resistance heater is employed, such as thecoiled form [9 illustrated, it may have one end 29 set into a slot ofthe wall it whereby electrical connection is made to the support memberitself.

The inward end 2! of the heater is fastened to an insulated post 22which connects electrically by means of a suitable wire (not shown) tothe post 2-3 extending into the switching chamber l8 and mounting theinward end of a thermoresponsive member in the form of a conventionalbimetallic strip.

An open housing 2c of a thermal and electrical insulating material is inthe form of an insert and forms the side walls of the switching cham berl8 whereby the thermoresponsive member can act substantially under theinfluence of the temperature of the air surrounding it rather than byconduction of heat through metal parts of the support member to thewalls of the char ber IS.

The free end 25 of the thermoresponsive mem ber carries a contact 25thereon adapted to engage with the stationary contact post 27, thelatter being connected electrically to an electrical lead 26 (Figure 2)projecting exteriorly of the support member and cover H but beinginsulated from the support member. The lead 29 merely serves as a groundconnection for the support member.

In use, the lead 28 is connected in the ignition circuit of theautomobile in such manner that when the ignition is turned on the heateris is electrically energized to cause the temperature of the atmospherewithin the housing I2 to be raised to a degree at which the waterdroplets condensed upon the electrical contacts in the distributor arecaused to evaporate. The lot-metallic thermoresponsive member isadjusted to be closed at temperatures less than 80 Fahrenheit and,accordingly, if the atmosphere within the distribu tor is below thistemperature at any time the heater is will become effective to heat theinterior of the distributor so long the ie'nition switch is on. However,it will be appreciated that so soon as the engine becomes sufficientlywarm and by its radiation and conduction of heat effects to thedistributor causes the latter to in any attain a temperaturewithin itsinterior of a value greater t i the opening temperature of the thainorespone to switch member, then the heating element is will no longerbe active.

It will tl'iereiore be seen in oircumstances the element It will notbecome active at all but will become so when the ternperature of thedistributor compo: than, say, so i prefer to choose a value of about 80F. for the activating temperature be cause there are cond. ions of hhumidity on relatively warm when disunbutor cornmutation is aiiected. Onthe othe hand, it is not practical to set this temperature at too highvalue, for it should he sufiicic 1 low that heating element out out ofbh electrical cult after the automobile engine has been rum nine a shorttime for it is not to waste battery energ It should be particularlyobserved heating chamber and the electrical switch oer disposed. in suchoner that the swi 0 other is isolated from direct radiation extenw ing:from heating element is. litereoventtha tliermoi-responsive member is thsally isolated by insulation from heat conduction by way oi walls it and55 from heati {3' element iii. llnsulation against hes" conduction byequivalent means becoi sired action when the metal of the support or isof relatively b h heat conductiv 7 cut-out temperature of; thethermoresponsive is low value.

Although I have shown one specific form of my invention, it will beappreciated that there will be many obvious modifications apparent toskilled persons, having regard. to the general combina- I tion. andarrangement of components which I have set forth. It therefore intendedthat the Ill) present disclosure should not be construed in any limitingsense other than that indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A heater for an electrical high tension distributor of the classemployed for internal com bustion engines, comprising in combination: abody adapted to be mounted within a distributor; open cl'iambers in saidbody defined by a pair of separate open cavities disposed therein in byside relationship; electrical heating mean n one of said chambers; athermo-responsive s chins member disposed in the other of said chambersand having electrical switching contacts; thermal insulating meanssubstantially isolating said thermo-responsive member from said body;means electrically connecting said electrical heat ing means to saidbody; and separate means elem trically connecting said heatir means andsaid thermo-responsive member else rically in series.

2. The combination, with terminal cover of an electrical high tensiondistributor for an internal combustion engine, of: a metallic bodydisposed inwardly or said cover and projecting into the interiorthereof; open ch; hers in said body defined by a pair of separate opencavities disposed therein in side by side relationship; electricalheating means in one of said chambers; a thermo responsive switchingmember disposed in the other of said chambers and having electricalswitching contacts; thermal insulating means substantially isolatingsaid thermooespoin sive member from said body; means electrical yconnecting said electrical heating means to said body; and separatemeans electrically connecting said heating means and said thermoresponsive member electrically in series.

STANLEY ALVIN WILFIE.

